Use of Ursodeoxycholic Acids in a Dog With Chronic Hepatitis: Effects on Serum Hepatic Tests and Endogenous Bile Acid Composition

A dog with severe cholestasis secondary to chronic hepatitis was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA1 PO. After 2 weeks of daily treatment, the dog was more active and had an improved appetite. Monthly serum biochemical determinations and analysis of individual bile acid profiles documented improvement in hepatobiliary tests and a marked reduction in the concentrations of potentially hepatotoxic endogenous bile acids. These effects were maintained for approximately 6 months- The findings in this dog are similar to those reported for human patients treated with UDCA and provide preliminary evidence in support of its continued evaluation in the treatment of cholestatic liver disease in the dog.     

转基因棉上非靶标害虫棉蚜取食行为的EPG研究

应用EPG技术记录了棉蚜在单价转基因棉保铃棉32B、双价转基因棉国抗22以及常规棉泗棉3号上连续生活10代前后的取食行为。结果表明,棉蚜在3个棉花品种上刺吸的各种特征波型基本相同,但各波型所占比例、重复出现的频次及平均周期表现不尽一致。棉蚜在单价转Bt棉上取食时,反映被动取食行为也即主要取食行为的E波所占比例和平均周期均显著高于在常规棉上,表示未取食状态的np波所占比例和平均周期均显著低于在常规棉上;双价转基因棉上与常规棉上无差异;而反映蚜虫刺探食物行为的C波在转基因棉和常规棉间均无差异。     

Common mechanism of chromosome inversion in B- and T-cell tumors: relevance to lymphoid development

An inversion of chromosome 14 present in the tumor cells of a patient with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia of B-cell lineage was shown to be the result of a site-specific recombination event between an immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene and the joining segment of a T-cell receptor alpha chain. This rearrangement resulted in the formation of a hybrid gene, part immunoglobulin and part T-cell receptor. Furthermore, this hybrid gene was transcribed into messenger RNA with a completely open reading frame. Thus, two loci felt to be normally activated at distinct and disparate points in lymphocyte development were unified and expressed in this tumor.     

Acid phosphatase activity in bean and cowpea plants grown under phosphorus stress

The relationship between acid phosphatase activity (APA) and phosphorus (P) stress in two bean genotypes (Phaseolus vulgaris var Tacarigua and var Manuare) and in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var TUY) are reported in this paper. Sand culture experiments were performed in a highly ventilated greenhouse where plants were drip feed with nutrient solutions with either 1.0 or 0.02 mM P. Acid phosphatase activity was determined in extracts from roots, young (apical) and mature leaves, and in leaf discs and root sections using o‐carboxyphenyl phosphate as substrate. Differences in total dry matter were found to be significant (P = 0.01) only for cowpea. However, reduction in leaf area was significant in both species and varieties. Differences in the P concentration in the dry matter, were large enough to suspect that plants were suffering from a mild P stress. Acid phosphatase activity was above the values reported for these species under P stress, however, APA in these legumes appears not to be inducible by the low P‐concentration level used in this study. A higher APA was found in young as compared to mature leaves, and the expression of APA also showed intraspecific variation. Acid phosphatase activity was related to the age of the leaves and was easily measured in leaf discs, specially for bean. This and the ratio of P concentration between young and mature leaves may be an alternative to absolute P‐status determination in plants.     

DNA and the chromosome – varied targets for chemotherapy

The nucleus of the cell serves to maintain, regulate, and replicate the critical genetic information encoded by the genome. Genomic DNA is highly associated with proteins that enable simple nuclear structures such as nucleosomes to form higher-order organisation such as chromatin fibres. The temporal association of regulatory proteins with DNA creates a dynamic environment capable of quickly responding to cellular requirements and distress. The response is often mediated through alterations in the chromatin structure, resulting in changed accessibility of specific DNA sequences that are then recognized by specific proteins. Anti-cancer drugs that target cellular DNA have been used clinically for over four decades, but it is only recently that nuclease specific drugs have been developed to not only target the DNA but also other components of the nuclear structure and its regulation. In this review, we discuss some of the new drugs aimed at primary DNA sequences, DNA secondary structures, and associated proteins, keeping in mind that these agents are not only important from a clinical perspective but also as tools for understanding the nuclear environment in normal and cancer cells.     

Plant-pathogenic bacteria as biological weapons - real threats?

At present, much attention is being given to the potential of plant pathogens, including plant-pathogenic bacteria, as biological weapons/bioterror weapons. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably and there is need for care in their application. It has been claimed that clandestine introduction of certain plant-pathogenic bacteria could cause such crop losses as to impact so significantly on a national economy and thus constitute a threat to national security. As a separate outcome, it is suggested that they could cause serious public alarm, perhaps constituting a source of terror. Legislation is now in place to regulate selected plant-pathogenic bacteria as potential weapons. However, we consider it highly doubtful that any plant-pathogenic bacterium has the requisite capabilities to justify such a classification. Even if they were so capable, the differentiation of pathogens into a special category with regulations that are even more restrictive than those currently applied in quarantine legislation of most jurisdictions offers no obvious benefit. Moreover, we believe that such regulations are disadvantageous insofar as they limit research on precisely those pathogens most in need of study. Whereas some human and animal pathogens may have potential as biological or bioterror weapons, we conclude that it is unlikely that any plant-pathogenic bacterium realistically falls into this category.